The 3 Biggest Reasons Why You’re Not Seeing Results!

Posted On December 5, 2020

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If you haven’t been getting the results you want in the gym, it could be because you aren’t doing one of these three things OUTSIDE of the gym. These are the three most important things you need to be doing to start seeing results.

# 1: Get 7-9 Hours of Good Quality Sleep Every Night

The most important thing you NEED to do to start seeing results is simple, get more sleep!

Yep―sleep.

In order for your body to function properly, you need to get an absolute bare minimum of 6 hours of good quality sleep per night, although 7-9 is far more ideal.

Not only will getting 7-9 hours of sleep help you get better results in the gym, not getting enough sleep can actually hurt your results.

If you don’t get enough sleep but are training hard, your body won’t be able to recover and you can actually LOSE MUSCLE!

It will also prevent you from losing fat, especially belly fat. What’s even worse is that studies have shown that a lack of sleep can actually cause you to GAIN fat!

Without enough quality sleep, all of your dieting and hard workouts will be wasted. The good news is there is an easy solution: GET MORE SLEEP!

How to Get Better Quality Sleep

Top athletes like Lebron James credit quality sleep as being the key to recovery and career longevity. You can use the same sleep methods to make sure you are getting 7-9 hours of good quality sleep per night.

Avoid Blue Light Before Bed: Electronics are responsible for a spectrum of light known as ‘blue light’ that can have negative effects on your sleep.

There are things that can help avoid blue light, like blue light blocking
glasses or the ‘night mode’ on your phone or laptop but your best bet is
to just cut off all electronics 2 hours before bed.

Keep it Cool: Most people don’t realize that their sleep problems may be related to the temperature of their bedroom. The ideal temperature for good quality sleep is a nice cool 65-70 degrees. A warm bedroom will cause the body to be restless and prevent you from going into a deep sleep.

Keep it Dark: Any type of light, even something as small as a blinking light on your mobile phone, can be enough to affect the quality of your sleep. A simple solution is to wear a sleep mask or use blackout curtains.

Block Out Noise: Sleep sound machines help mask out sounds that might disrupt your sleep and help relax a restless mind. There are also many sleep sound apps available. Tide for Iphones and Nature Sounds for Androids are two of the most popular.

Stay Consistent: Try to go to sleep at the same time each night and wake up at the same time each morning so your body develops a sleep rhythm.

# 2: Reduce Your Stress Levels

When you have chronic stress, your body increases its production of cortisol and insulin, causing the body to crave sugars and fats. This causes you to rapidly store more fat, especially in the belly area.

I’ve seen it time and time again.

My clients who had high levels of stress had a much more difficult time losing belly fat than those who were able to effectively lower their stress levels.

It may seem that there’s nothing you can do about your stress level but you have a lot more control than you might think. In fact, the simple realization that you’re in control of your life is the foundation of stress management.

Managing stress is all about taking charge―taking charge of your
thoughts, your emotions, your schedule, your environment, and the
way you deal with problems.

The ultimate goal is a balanced life, with time for work, relationships, relaxation, and fun―plus the resilience to hold up under pressure and meet challenges head-on.

Simple Tips for Reducing Stress

Get Enough Sleep: You already know how important sleep is for muscle building and fat loss but a lack of quality sleep has been shown to increase stress and anxiety.

Exercise in the morning: Working out in the morning or even just going for a quick walk will help relax your body and mind before your day even gets started.

Reduce Caffeine: Most people think caffeine helps give them the energy they need to get everything done but too much caffeine can make you feel anxious and even more stressed. If you really need that caffeine kick, try switching out your coffee for green tea which has been shown to help reduce stress and anxiety.

Take Mental Breaks: If you are always on the go, it is extremely important for you to take a mental break just to relax and reset yourself. Use an app like Calm to guide you through mental relaxation exercises.

Try Natural Stress Relievers: Ashwagandha is an ancient medicinal herb that has been used for over 3,000 years to relieve stress, increase energy levels, and improve concentration.

Rhodiola is a plant that has a long history of use as medicine, especially in Arctic and Northern European regions where it is used to help the body adapt to physical and environmental stress.

#3: Stay Hydrated

Drinking enough water is essential for muscle building and fat loss. Your body NEEDS water to burn fat and produce energy.

When you sleep, you become dehydrated. If you fail to properly rehydrate first thing in the morning, your energy level and ability to burn fat will be compromised for the rest of the day.

The first thing you need to start doing is hydrate when you wake up in the morning. I’m sure you already know this but to really rehydrate you can’t just drink a few sips of water and call it a day.

Your goal should be to drink at least 16 ounces (2 glasses) of water first thing in the morning. You don’t have to drink the full 16 ounces in one sitting but you do want to try and drink it all within an hour of waking.

Once you have re-hydrated, your goal should now be to stay hydrated. If you haven’t already, replace sodas, juices, and other calorie containing drinks with water.

The next step is figuring out how much water you should be drinking.

Although the most recommended amount is 8 glasses per day, that number is probably way too low for most people.

If you are training hard and want to optimize muscle building and fat burning, you are probably better off following the 2/3 of your weight in ounces guideline as the amount of water you need per day.

The easiest way to do this is to take your weight and multiply it by .67. So if you weigh 200 lbs and multiply it by .67, you would want to drink 134 ounces per day.

Please note: If you have any health conditions or take certain medications, please consult with your doctor about the proper amount of water intake for you.

This may seem like a very high amount of water but if you try to stay hydrated throughout the day, it is much easier to accomplish than you might think.

If you follow my advice and drink 16 ounces of water first thing the morning, you will have taken a huge step toward reaching your daily water intake goal already.

The next thing you can do is make sure to drink 2 glasses of water before each meal. This has been proven to help with weight reduction and it will help aid with digestion as well. If you eat 4 to 5 times per day, you will be well on your way to hitting your goal.

The next easiest thing to do is always have water nearby and constantly sip it throughout the day. You can use a water bottle with time marker reminders as a simple way to keep track of your daily water intake.

You can also try an app like Waterminder or Water Reminder for Androids. These apps will send you alerts to remind you to drink water throughout the day as well as track how much water you are drinking.

If you follow the tips and recommendations mentioned, you should start to notice changes in no time. Before you know it, all your hardwork in the gym will be paying off and you will finally be getting those results you’ve been missing.